DETROIT — The Detroit Lions got the better of former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in the first meeting with his Chicago Bears squad with a resounding 52-21 victory at Ford Field on Sunday.
The Lions finished with 511 total yards of offense as quarterback Jared Goff threw for 334 yards and five touchdowns.
There was no mercy for the Bears as the Lions moved to 1-1 and sunk Chicago down to an 0-2 start.
Detroit’s final touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter with Goff converting a fourth-and-goal from the Chicago four-yard line with a quick out route to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The Lions under coach Dan Campbell are regularly aggressive looking to extend drives — even in precarious situations — and always aiming to put up six points.
Johnson knows that, he was one of the architects of the system that the Lions thrive with. It’s likely why he took some umbrage when asked if he thought Detroit was running up the score against him with the game already in hand.
“What’s (Campbell) supposed to do? It’s fourth-and-goal, what do you want him to do?” Johnson said during his postgame press conference. “Yeah, he could’ve kicked a field goal, they don’t kick field goals, they go for it there. He was doing what he was supposed to do, that’s what he does.”
Johnson didn’t try and sugarcoat a 31-point loss, saying it was a “kick in the teeth.” But he rejected the idea that it was demoralizing to return to Detroit and suffer a lopsided defeat.
“It’s not demoralizing at all,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to play better, as simple as that.”
The Bears not only dropped to 0-2 overall but also in NFC North play, making a run to the playoffs in his debut season as a head coach considerably more challenging.
The Lions and Bears will meet again in the regular-season finale, with that game taking place in Chicago’s Soldier Field where Johnson can try and take his win back against the team he left after five seasons.
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